Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock	Paid-in Capital	Treasury Stock	Retained Earnings	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Raven Industries, Inc. Equity	Noncontrolling Interest	redeemable noncontrolling interest
Total shareholders' equity, beginning balance at Jan. 31, 2017	$ 259,431	$ 67,060	$ 55,795	$ (90,402)	$ 230,649	$ (3,676)	$ 259,426	$ 5
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	41,019				41,022		41,022	(3)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income tax	1,103					1,103	1,103
Cash dividends	(18,685)		214		(18,899)		(18,685)
Director shares issued	0	26	(26)				0
Shares issued on stock options exercised net of shares withheld for employee taxes	(290)	21	(311)				(290)
Share issued on vesting of stock units , net of shares withheld for employee taxes	(237)	17	(254)				(237)
Stock repurchased and retired during period, value	(10,000)			(10,000)			(10,000)
Share-based compensation	3,725		3,725				3,725
Total shareholders' equity, ending balance at Jan. 31, 2018	$ 276,066	67,124	59,143	(100,402)	252,772	(2,573)	276,064	2
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Dividends per common share (in usd per share)	$ 0.52
Net income	$ 51,873				51,794		51,794	79
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income tax	(703)					(703)	(703)
Reclassification due to ASU 2018-02 adoption					280	(280)
Cash dividends	(18,674)		203		(18,877)		(18,674)
Dividends of less than wholly-owned subsidiary paid to noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Distributions to Noncontrolling Interest	(79)							(79)
Shares issued on stock options exercised net of shares withheld for employee taxes	(2,637)	113	(2,750)				(2,637)
Share issued on vesting of stock units , net of shares withheld for employee taxes	(840)	52	(892)				(840)
Share-based compensation	3,951		3,951				3,951
Total shareholders' equity, ending balance at Jan. 31, 2019	$ 308,957	67,289	59,655	(100,402)	285,969	(3,556)	308,955	2
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Dividends per common share (in usd per share)	$ 0.52
Temporary Equity, Carrying Amount, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests, Ending Balance at Jan. 31, 2019									$ 0
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	$ 34,613
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Nonredeemable Noncontrolling Interest	35,195				35,196		35,196	(1)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income tax	(1,859)					(1,859)	(1,859)
Adjustments to Additional Paid in Capital, Other	199		199				199
Cash dividends	(18,649)		216		(18,865)		(18,649)
Dividends of less than wholly-owned subsidiary paid to noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Distributions to Noncontrolling Interest	(1)							(1)
Shares issued on stock options exercised net of shares withheld for employee taxes	(1,028)	41	(1,069)				(1,028)
Share issued on vesting of stock units , net of shares withheld for employee taxes	(2,358)	106	(2,464)				(2,358)
Stock repurchased and retired during period, value	(10,781)			(10,781)			(10,781)
Share-based compensation	4,971		4,971				4,971
Total shareholders' equity, ending balance at Jan. 31, 2020	$ 314,646	$ 67,436	$ 61,508	$ (111,183)	$ 302,300	$ (5,415)	$ 314,646	$ 0
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Dividends per common share (in usd per share)	$ 0.52
Increase (Decrease) in Temporary Equity [Roll Forward]
Temporary Equity, Net Income									(582)
Noncontrolling Interest, Increase from Business Combination									24,315
Noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Redemptions or Purchase of Interests									(2,431)
Temporary Equity, Carrying Amount, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests, Ending Balance at Jan. 31, 2020									$ 21,302